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{{short description|Indian academic (1946–2019)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox academic
| name = Vashishtha Narayan Singh
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1946|4|2}} 
| birth_place = Basantpur, [[Bhojpur district, India|Bhojpur District]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|11|14|1946|4|2|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Patna, Bihar]], India
| other_names =
| occupation = Academic
| alma_mater = [[Netarhat Residential School]] [[Patna Science College]] [[University of California, Berkeley]]
| doctoral_advisor = [[John L. Kelley]]
| workplaces = [[University of Washington]] [[IIT Kanpur]] [[Tata_Institute_of_Fundamental_Research|TIFR, Mumbai]] [[Indian_Statistical_Institute|I.S.I. Kolkata]]
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (2020)
| website =
}}

'''Vashishtha Narayan Singh''' (2 April 1946 – 14 November 2019) was an Indian mathematician and academic. He taught mathematics at various institutes in India between the 1960s and the 1970s. He is popular on social media for supposedly having challenged [[Einstein's Theory of Relativity]] but there are no credible sources that prove so. In the early 1970s, Singh was diagnosed with [[schizophrenia]] due to which he was repeatedly in and out of psychiatric hospitals and only returned to academia in 2014. He was posthumously awarded the [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest civilian award of India for his contributions, in 2020.

== Early life and career ==
Singh was born on 2 April 1946 to Lal Bahadur Singh, a police constable, and Lahaso Devi in the Basantpur village of the [[Bhojpur district, India|Bhojpur]] district in [[Bihar]], India.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/a-mathematician-who-ignited-minds-scholars/articleshow/72060739.cms|title=Vashishtha Narayan Singh dies: A mathematician who ignited minds|last=Mishra|first=B. K.|website=The Times of India|date=15 November 2019 |language=en|access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref>

Singh was a child prodigy.<ref name=":4" /> He received his primary and secondary education from [[Netarhat Residential School]], and he received his college education from [[Patna Science College]].<ref name="beautiful">{{cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/india-s-own-beautiful-mind-113070500963_1.html|title=India's own beautiful mind?|date=5 July 2013|publisher=Business Standard|access-date=8 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409002013/http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/india-s-own-beautiful-mind-113070500963_1.html|archive-date=9 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.netarhatvidyalaya.com/current/achievements.htm |title=Achievements of Netarhat Vidyalay |publisher=Netarhat Vidyalay |access-date=6 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140205203516/http://www.netarhatvidyalaya.com/current/achievements.htm |archive-date=5 February 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> He received recognition as a student when he was allowed by [[Patna University]] to appear for examination in the first year of its three-year [[Bachelor of Science|BSc]] (Hons.) Mathematics course and later [[Master of Science|MSc]] examination the next year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Nation-fails-its-sick-maths-wizard/articleshow/597829.cms|title=Nation fails its sick maths wizard|date=3 April 2004|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=7 April 2014|location=Patna|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108125527/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Nation-fails-its-sick-maths-wizard/articleshow/597829.cms|archive-date=8 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/maths-wizard-vashistha-narayan-singh-dies-at-78-in-patna-hospital/story-iZoN2bWphkUIJx8BAhyiQN.html|title=Maths wizard Vashistha Narayan Singh dies at 78 in Patna hospital|date=15 November 2019|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=15 November 2019}}</ref>

Singh joined the [[University of California, Berkeley]] in 1965 and received a PhD in [[Reproducing kernel Hilbert space|Reproducing Kernels and Operators with a Cyclic Vector]] (Cycle Vector Space Theory) in 1969 under doctoral advisor [[John L. Kelley]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/noted-mathematician-vashishtha-singh-no-more/article29978988.ece|title=Noted mathematician Vashishtha Singh no more|date=15 November 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=15 November 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://math.berkeley.edu/people/grad/vashishtha-narayan-singh |title=Vashishtha Narayan Singh |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=4 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215110948/http://math.berkeley.edu/people/grad/vashishtha-narayan-singh |archive-date=15 February 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />

After receiving his PhD, Singh joined the [[University of Washington]] as an assistant professor. He returned to India in 1974 to teach at [[Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://aajtak.intoday.in/story/indian-mathematician-vashishtha-narayan-singh-help-the-us-nasa-apollo-mission-tedu-1-1137504.html|title=चांद पर पहली बार गया था इंसान, ऐसे की थी वशिष्ठ नारायण ने NASA की मदद|website=aajtak.intoday.in|date=15 November 2019 |language=hi|access-date=15 November 2019}}</ref> After eight months, he joined [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] (TIFR), Bombay where he worked on a short-term position. Later he was appointed a faculty at the [[Indian Statistical Institute]], Kolkata.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theiitian.com/disturbed-genius-in-penury-vasistha-narayan-singh/|title=Disturbed Genius in Penury : Former IIT Prof. Vasistha Singh|publisher=The PanIIT Alumni Association|access-date=6 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408225522/http://theiitian.com/disturbed-genius-in-penury-vasistha-narayan-singh/|archive-date=8 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />

== Later life ==
Singh married Vandana Rani Singh in 1973 and they divorced in 1976. He was later diagnosed with [[schizophrenia]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> With his condition worsening in the late 1970s, he was admitted to the [[Central Institute of Psychiatry]] in [[Kanke]] (now in [[Jharkhand]]) and remained there until 1985.<ref name=":4" />

In 1987, Singh returned to his village of Basantpur. He disappeared during his train journey to [[Pune]] in 1989 and was found four years later in 1993 in Doriganj near [[Chhapra]] of [[Saran district]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> He was then admitted to the [[National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences]] (NIMHANS), [[Bangalore]]. In 2002, he was treated at the [[Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences]] (IHBAS), Delhi.<ref name=":4" />

In 2014, Singh was appointed a visiting professor at [[Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University]] (BNMU) in [[Madhepura district|Madhepura]].<ref name="toi2013">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Forgotten-mathematics-legend-Vashishtha-Narayan-Singh-back-in-academia/articleshow/19625294.cms|title=Forgotten mathematics legend Vashishtha Narayan Singh back in academia|last=Prasad|first=Bhuvneshwar|date=19 April 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=7 April 2014|location=Patna|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619080241/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Forgotten-mathematics-legend-Vashishtha-Narayan-Singh-back-in-academia/articleshow/19625294.cms|archive-date=19 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/11/15/noted-mathematician-vashishtha-singh-dies-hospital-denies-ambulance-to-carry-his-body.html|title=Noted mathematician Vashishtha Singh dies; hospital denies ambulance to carry his body|website=The Week|language=en|access-date=15 November 2019}}</ref>

Singh died on 14 November 2019 at [[Patna Medical College and Hospital]] in Patna after prolonged illness.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/renowned-mathematician-vashishtha-dies-in-patna-family-made-to-wait-for-ambulance-1618915-2019-11-14|title=Mathematician, who challenged Einstein's theory, dies; family made to wait for ambulance|last=Jha|first=Sujeet|date=14 November 2019|website=India Today|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114133259/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/renowned-mathematician-vashishtha-dies-in-patna-family-made-to-wait-for-ambulance-1618915-2019-11-14|archive-date=14 November 2019|access-date=14 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/education/mathematician-vashishtha-narayan-singh-dies-in-patna-2132356|title=Mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh Dies In Patna|website=NDTV.com|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114084834/https://www.ndtv.com/education/mathematician-vashishtha-narayan-singh-dies-in-patna-2132356|archive-date=14 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Awards ==
Singh was awarded the [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest civilian award of India, posthumously in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/padma-awards-for-george-vashishtha-six-others-from-state/articleshow/73620093.cms|title=Padma awards for George, Vashishtha & six others from state|date=26 January 2020|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/former-ministers-arun-jaitley-sushma-swaraj-and-george-fernandes-given-padma-vibhushan/articleshow/73617205.cms|title=Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, George Fernandes given Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Here's full list of Padma award recipients|date=26 January 2020|publisher=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS |url=https://padmaawards.gov.in/PDFS/2020AwardeesList.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229004803/https://padmaawards.gov.in/PDFS/2020AwardeesList.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-29 |access-date=25 January 2020 |website=padmaawards.gov.in}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==

Filmmaker [[Prakash Jha]] announced a biographical film on Singh's life in 2018.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/prakash-jha-to-direct-biopic-on-mathematician-vashishtha-narayan-singh-1826305.html|title=Prakash Jha to Direct Biopic on Mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh|website=News18|date=28 July 2018 |access-date=15 November 2019}}</ref> Singh's brother Ayodhya Prasad Singh, citing pending legal guardianship issues, said that no film rights had been granted.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/indias-unknown-beautiful-mind/articleshow/72080015.cms|title=India's unknown beautiful mind|date=16 November 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/cmcm/no-authority-to-make-biopic-on-vashishtha-narayan-singh-mathematicians-brother-ayodhya-prasad-singh|title=No authority to make biopic on Vashishtha Narayan Singh: Mathematician's brother Ayodhya Prasad Singh|date=10 August 2018|website=Free Press Journal|language=en|access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref>

==Publication==
* {{Cite journal|last=Singh|first=Vashishtha N.|date=1974|title=Reproducing kernels and operators with a cyclic vector. I.|url=https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.pjm/1102911984|journal=Pacific Journal of Mathematics|language=en|volume=52|issue=2|pages=567–584|doi=10.2140/pjm.1974.52.567|issn=0030-8730|doi-access=free}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{2000s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Vashishtha Narayan}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of IIT Kanpur]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Indian Statistical Institute]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:People with schizophrenia]]
[[Category:Patna University alumni]]
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Netarhat Residential School alumni]]
[[Category:People from Bhojpur district, India]]

Vashishtha Narayan Singh - Revision history

Best time to visit kashmir: Created New Bio V1